AN: first of all I own nothing, second of all thanks for reading! This is my first Arrow fic, so some things might be ooc. Hospital scene I really wanted to write, a second part from Olivers POV is coming up. Hope you enjoy!
She needed to help him. She needed to help Oliver.
He was in danger. He needed her, but her fingers were so heavy she could barely lift them. She was pretty sure a toddler would be capable of typing quicker than she could at the moment. On top of that her eyes were falling shut causing her to be unable to read what she was typing. It made her even more scared than she already was, because it was not only Oliver that was in danger. She could feel something was lurking in the dark, out to get not only her, but also out to get Starling City. Out to get everyone she cared about.
The sounds her earpiece was producing weren't exactly reassuring either; yelling and bleeping machines, but no response from Oliver or Diggle. She tried calling them, but she barely produced a squeak. Terrified she tried again and again. Oliver, Diggle! Oliver, Diggle! Oliver, Oliver, Oliver…
"Oliver!"
Startled Felicity tried to sit up. A dull pain to her right side made her reconsider that decision and groaning softly she let herself fall back. As her memories came back to her she groaned a little louder. The pain she was feeling would probably get worse soon.
"Felicity?"
She managed to smile and open her eyes enough to see him standing up from an uncomfortable hospital chair. "Yeah, that would be me, unless you mean another Felicity of course. That would be rather strange, since Felicity isn't a very common name. And I don't see any other Felicities here anyway. So why would you talk to one of them right now? Unless you're on the phone, but then again you are looking at me and my name is Felicity…" She paused, partially because of the concerned look Oliver was giving, partially because the name Felicity started to sound really strange. "You know, normally I don't ramble about my name. Maybe they broke whatever was left of my brain-to-mouth filter. My head does feel foggy. Can…"
"Felicity," he interrupted her, smiling sadly, "I'm pretty sure it's just the painkillers."
"She's awake?" Diggle's voice asked from the other side of her. She turned her head and saw him standing next to the door, looking nearly as concerned as Oliver.
"Yes, I'm awake and okay Diggle." She was attempting to sound reassuring, but her voice broke on the last word. Oliver was standing on her left by then, grabbing her hand to comfort her.
Diggle was halfway her bed when he stopped walking all of a sudden. "Are you laughing?"
Felicity managed to nod, continuing her silent laughter. "It's just… your name… it's Diggle." She couldn't help but laughing out loud, confusing both men at first and then worrying them because her laughing turned into moaning. "It hurts," she quickly explained, wrapping her right arm around her waist.
"I'll get the doctor," Diggle said softly as he left the room.
Felicity looked at Oliver, horror written all over her face. "Did I just laugh at Diggle's name?" It didn't seem as funny as it was a few seconds ago.
Oliver softly squeezed her hand, "It's okay."
She could tell something was not. To any other person his face would show concern and relief, but she could also see the sadness and guilt in his eyes. Reading Oliver Queen might not be easy, but especially someone as perceptive as Felicity could learn; certainly since she saw him nearly every day.
"Oliver, I…" Felicity started, but the entrance of a stern looking woman in a white coat interrupted her.
"Miss Smoak," the woman said, observing a piece of paper. "How are you feeling?"
Felicity shrugged and immediately moaned. "Guess I'm feeling pain."
It was intended as at least a little bit funny, but the woman frowned and scribbled something on a chart. "We'll get you some more painkillers for that. Other than that you should be fine. No broken bones, just bruised ribs, a sprained ankle and some minor bruising. You can go home in the morning," she shot a strange look at Oliver, "but there's something I wanted to ask you before I discharge you. Maybe your boyfriend could leave us for a moment?"
"He's not my boyfriend," Felicity said quickly as she instinctively pulled Oliver's hand closer to her side, "and I really want him to stay if that's alright." She smiled at the doctor and spotted a small smile on Oliver's face as well.
"Actually," the doctor said, unyielding, "I do mind. So mister Queen, if you would just step outside with your bodyguard?" Somewhat reluctantly Oliver let go of Felicity's hand, but not before softly squeezing it and smiling at her. Felicity smiled back, even though she felt very uncomfortable at the thought of him leaving her side. Her head wasn't clear at all and she was worried she would start rambling and say something vigilante-related she wasn't supposed to know.
As soon as Oliver had left the room the doctor pulled a chair to sit on next to Felicity's bed. "Where I wanted to talk about is that some of your injuries," she gestured at Felicity's bruised wrists, "are very common on victims of domestic violence. If someone did this to you, you should tell us. We can help you."
The doctor seemed compassionate as she kept an intense gaze on Felicity, who had trouble keeping her facial expression neutral. Someone did it to her already, but it certainly wasn't who the doctor thought it was.
She had been updating Thea's computer in the upstairs office earlier that night when she had heard people in the club. After warning Oliver and Diggle she had been foolish enough to leave the office to check what was going on. A few men that renovated the bar during the day were talking to some men Felicity didn't know. One of them had seen her and forced her down the stairs. Of course her heels hadn't agreed with the pace her captor had decided on, and she had fell down half the stairs. After that the men hadn't been very soft on her, kicking her if she gave answers they didn't like.
But she wasn't really about to tell all of that to a doctor who obviously thought Oliver was abusing her. "I tripped on my way downstairs, maybe Oliver bruised my wrists when he pulled me up, but I can't really blame him for it, because, well, look at him. He's like superman. And now he's wearing a tie and jacket. If he's not wearing a shirt he looks even better. Not that I see him without a shirt often, only sometimes, if he changes in his office, because I am his assistant and I see him in his office sometimes. Shutting up in three, two, one."
The doctor nodded briefly in response. Nevertheless Felicity doubted if she believed her story. "Someone will bring you your painkillers in just a moment." The doctor left the room and let Oliver and Diggle back in.
Diggle swiftly took the seat the doctor left empty next to Felicity as Oliver made his way back to his position on her left.
"I'm sorry Dig," she took his hand in hers, "I didn't mean to offend you."
He shrugged, "don't mention it."
They respectively sat, stood or lied like that until a nurse came to give Felicity her pain medication. While they waited Felicity had time to notice the room she was in was too spacious for a hospital room, and Felicity had anxiously asked Oliver whether he had something to do with it. She felt somewhat better when he told her he hadn't, and even better when she finally got her painkillers.
As soon as the nurse had left the room she turned to look at Oliver. There was something she needed to tell him. No, scratch that, there was a lot she needed to tell him, but this had priority over all those other things. And since it was three in the morning she guessed no one would overhear.
"I need to have my tablet to delete the footage of the security cameras in the Verdant." Felicity had kept her voice low, just in case.
Oliver's brows furrowed for a moment before rising just a little bit. "No, I'm not going to let you worry about that right now. I…"
But Felicity wasn't about to let him do anything else to clean up her mess. "Oliver, it is my fault I'm in the hospital, it is my fault the Verdant is a mess, the least I can do is…"
"No," Oliver interrupted her this time "they did this to you. They hurt you so bad Dig and I had to take you here." A flash of guilt appeared in his eyes "And I was too late to stop them."
"But, I had to check when my phone told me they were messing with the keypad to the cellar, so…"
Diggle cleared his throat "I'll go delete the footage. The two of you get some rest and we talk about this when we are out of here." He glanced nervously at the door. Both Oliver and Felicity agreed, this wasn't the place to have this conversation.
Dig stood up and was about to walk away, when Felicity called him back. "Dig?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Diggle smiled, "every day Felicity."
"So," Felicity said, turning completely back to Oliver now Diggle was gone, "you should go too. Get some sleep and all. It was a long night." She smiled, but could tell Oliver wasn't about to listen to her.
"I'll be in that chair if you need me," he simply said as he walked back to the chair he had been sitting in earlier.
As the painkillers started to kick in Felicity started to feel drowsy. She was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to stay awake long enough to have an argument with Oliver, so instead she just moved to the right side of her bed, grunting in the process.
Eyes full with concern Oliver returned to her side, "Felicity. What are you doing?" the tone of his voice made clear he wouldn't agree with whatever reason she would give him. She answered him nevertheless.
"I'm making room for you. You're not going to sleep on a chair." She shot a quick glance at the chair. "Especially not on a chair you're going to fall off as soon as you fall asleep."
Oliver's lips formed a tight line "You have more bruises than I have scars, Felicity. I would only hurt you."
Felicity tried to gesture that he wouldn't, but her hands wouldn't cooperate. They were raised just a little, and then fell in her lap. "I want to share my bed with you and everything feels numb anyway. Not like I want to sleep with you. Well I do, but really sleep. Not other activities indicated with sleeping, that would just be wrong." Oliver's sad smile and furrowed brows weren't helping her slurring ramble, "You know what else is wrong? Kangaroos and nightmares. Luckily I don't have nightmares about kangaroos. That would even be worse than the Count." That thought made her extraordinarily sad. "What if he was Count Kangaroo? Then I really would never be able to sleep again you know. Hey, what are you doing?"
Even through the fog in her mind she had figured Oliver would go sit on the chair despite her best effort. But to her surprise he took of his shoes and stepped in the bed next to her. With his broad shoulders the bed was filled immediately, but he made sure Felicity was comfortable by laying her head on his shoulder. "I know something about nightmares," he whispered in her ear, "So I am helping you with that."
Felicity grunted softly. "You're not going to sleep, are you?"
Oliver just stroked her hair, making her even drowsier. Just before she fell in what was to be a dreamless sleep, she managed to murmur "thank you," to Oliver's chest.
"Yeah," he said.